This is my favorite shirt. 
It wasn’t always my favorite. I liked it well enough when I got it. My sister made it for me. It was pretty. It had purple. It showed my love of knitting. And then I lost it.
And then I lost my sister. I wasn’t ready to lose my sister. I don’t think I ever would have gotten ready, either. She was my little sister. She wasn’t supposed to go before me. She was supposed to be here with me forever.
My sister was super crafty. She could sew anything. She did vinyl and embroidery. She made everything prettier and funner. She didn’t often make me things, she mostly made kids stuff, so it was special when she made stuff for me. And the stuff she made me became even more special once she was gone.
I found my shirt a couple weeks ago. Apparently if you overstuff your dresser drawers, stuff can fall under the bottom drawer and become stuck in clothing purgatory. I found it there, put it on, and thought about my sister. I’ve worn it several times since.
I’m so thankful I found it. So thankful my sister made it for me and so inspired to knit gifts for my friends and family for next Christmas. Because now I know, the gifts you craft are what people hold on to remember you by when you’re gone. If you’re crafty, I’d like to encourage you to gift from your craftiness if you can. Your loved ones might not understand the time and effort that goes into making them. They might not fully appreciate the gift now. But none of us live forever and handmade gifts give your loved ones something to hold onto and remember you by when you’re gone. That’s a gift that keeps on giving. Think about it.
Made from Scratch 